Shock absorber



Jan. 1, 1929. 1,691,610 .1. 1-1. REDHEAD i' y SHOCK ABSGRBER Filed Oct. 12, 1925 [fig-3 Patented Jan. v1, 19291.

estres lsaai-ss i 11,692,610 rear erstes;

JACOB HARTZIER REDHEAD, OF CLEVELAND, OI[IO.`y 7

i i sHocK ABsoRBER.

Application 1aed october 12, 1925. yserial No. 61,919.v

My invention relates to shock absorbers and more particularly to that class of shock absorber Which' cooperates With the springs of vehicles Vto absorb shock imparted to the ve-V and to retard rebound movements hicle bodyV of the body.

An object of my invention is to provide al shock absorber Whichv permits limited free movement of the body in one direction, but which retards movement ofthe'body in the other direction.

Another object of my. inventiony is to prov V vide a friction shock absorber-Which Will not only retard rebound movements of'a body to j which itgis attached, but Will also retard abnormal movements of the body in the opposite direction. Y j Y Other objects and advantages of my inv vention Will become apparent Vfrom the following Idescription' of one embodimentthereof, referencebeingmade to the accompanying drawings in-Which'like, characters are,v em- A Y ployed toV designate like-partsthroughoutthe y forming part of the housing and which is pro-y Fig- 1 is a view showing my invention ap-V plied to the frame of an automobile;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through theY r shock absorber taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l3.

Fig. 3vis asection on line 3-*3 of Fig. 2; and l Fig. 4 isa detail plan of the securing plate. In the accompanying drawings 1 represents a housing ordrum and 2 represents a plate vided with outvvardlyextending securing i e. flanges 3. The plate'2 isdrilled at f2 for the purpose ofnsecuring the device tothe body or chassis of avehicleor the like Which is subject to, shock and on which it is desired to,`

provide means for absorbingsuch shocks.

The plate 2 is shaped as -in Fig. 4, being provided With bolt holes 4 around its pe f riphery and having an upturned Hangs 5. Y therearound.

The flange is, shaped as shown and defines two or more arcs 8 and 9-essentially alike, but formed on different Vcenters such as C and C', respectively.` A bearing socket 7 is formed integrally With the'pplate Y and is concentric with the maincenter.

The drum or cover 1 is essentially vof-the' same shape as the flange 5 land is adapted to,

seat thereover When the device is assembled, the drum side Walls lbeingV generated about different centers, as I have shown in drawings Where I-have illustrated a drum made of semif' circular sections or arcs 8 and 9 in Which the Arespe-strive centers C and Q are staggered in vprevent leakage of oil orparallel planes' and equally With respect t0 center 6 so that the respective arcs are arranged as shown. gage and vseat over the fianges 5 of the plate 2 forming'a leak-proof' joint, since When the drum isassembled for useit'is filled With oil or grease. The inner peripheraljwalls 10 The inner drum `Walls enof thedrum are shaped 'similar to the fiange f i 5 ofthe plate, 'and provide contacting surfaces against which theV adjacent contacting walls 11 ofthe shoes are forced.

j Shoes 12 and y13 are of substantiallythef i same shape having arcuate exterior contacting Walls 11 which are adapted to frictionally engage the inner Walls v10 of the drum. lThe 'l ally secured to a yoke or collar 21 by pins 22 extendingv therethrough. The collar 21V is keyed to aV shaft 23 extending axiallythrough thehousing 1 and AWhich is seatedjat'its "inner end Within the socket 7. Therhousing 1 terminates onits true center 6 in abearing memberv24 in which a packing 25 of felty or the like is held in contact With the shaft to drum at this point. y j j The outer end of the shaft 23 carries a lever member terminates in an apertured tongue 27 for the purposel ofA receiving the apertured bifurcated end `28 of an operating lever 29. 'lfhe extreme outer endof the operating lever grease from the attaching member 26 keyedthereto. This is preferably ball-shaped as shown at `30, for

universal connection With the connecting link 30 which .is pivotally secured to the vehicle .spring or axle S. i The outer end of the shaft 23 is threadedv to receive a locking `nut and Washer 31 for holding the member 26 in place.

A1 oo.

l. Each ofthe fshoes 12 and13 is provided l* withspring retaining and guide pins 32 preferably ha'vin';r tapered Wallsto permit lateral movement ofP the coil springs 34 and 35 and projecting from adjacent` theends of thejinner Walls 33 of each of the shoes preferably Y in alignment VWith-the adjacent pins on the other shoe When thejshoes are in .the position shoWn'inFig. 2. '.Coil springs311and`j35 are carried ther pinsas shove/n in' tliedravv` no'Y ings and normally.under eompression se `that the shoes will be normally forced into frictional contactrwith the adjacent inner walls of the housing.

It will be noted that lthe* peculiarr shape'V of the peripheral inner walls of the drum formed by the eccentric sections, provide seats 36 and 37 on the interior ofthe drum walls at the points of intersection of the ecceir trically arced walls 8 and 9. The seats thus formed not only serve as a. stop for the respective shoes when the latter are moving in a counter-Clockwise direction as shown in '.Fig. 2, but also serve as bearing points for the shoes'when excessive downward stresses arev applied to the vehicle body and the lever 29 is subjected toV unusual upward movement.

i The shock absorberV above described is at tached to a. portion of the vehicle frame preferably above theV vehicle axles as shown in yFig. v1. In use, when the vehicle is subjected ,contracting-links 16j-1f?, theshoes 12 and 13 willbe shiftedv within the drum until their respective ends 38 and 39 seat within the seats 36 and 37, respectively, formed by the intersecting walls of vthe housing. Further 16 jgriilvling the upward movement of the lever will cause the shoe .7:12 to pivot about its end 3S, the link otherlend of the shoe inwardly against the spring 35. The shoe 13 will pivot in asimilar manner and its free end will be pulled inwardly against spring 34. As the shoes swing inwardly against the compres-y sion of springs 34 and 35, they will at all times have their inner adjacent walls sub stantially parallel, and asvthe shaft 23 .continues to rotate the shoes will be drawn closer and closer together, but [in substantially spaced parallel relation. The springs will considerably distorted in taking such eX- ythis cycle` of operation of the device.

oessive shock, but are held in place/.on the the guide pins 32. The springs,

shoes by take up most of the vshock during therefore,

action tendsto check any excessive downward Vmovement ofthe vehicle body, Vthus reducingl the shock in this direction.

On the. rebound movement of the vehicle body,'the.lever.will rock downwardly causing the yshaft 23 to` rotate in the opposite direction, to project the links outwardly and Lin a clockwise direction, as in Fig. 2` and will cause the shoes 12 and 13 to be shifted yfrom the' seats 36 and 37, respectively, and be projected under force into frictional Contact with the inner contactingjw-alls of the drum. "As the shoes travel along the inner drum surfaces from the seats 36 and 37, they arev forced into greater yfrictional` contactV with This' the inner walls of the drum by thesprings 34 and 35 and also by the pushing action of the'links. This pushing action is more pronoiinced .in my apparatus since I have provided a drum wherein the sections are formed eceentrically to the true center 6 of the Vplate and drinn. Also since the links operate on centers which are defined as pins 22 in Fig. 2, it will benoted that if an imaginary v line be drawn from the .center of Veither ofV such pins to `points along theinner cont-acting walls 10 or 11 ofthe drum. these lines will not represent true radiil with respect to lthe center 22`and .the arcuate walls l0 a-ndfllv which they intersect. Therefore, it will be seen thatupon rebound movement ,of the car body yor downward movement of the arm 2.9, the. links will force the respective shoes into frictional engagement ywith the wallslil and 11 from` afpointoff the true center of the arcdescribed by the walls. yict the moment of applicationthe rebound shock is cushioned f alinost entirely by the `slices engaging the walls 10 and V11, but as the shock is being taken up andthe collar `21 rotates in a clochwise direction, Fig. 2, the links will assume .a greater angle from the horizontal in vFig. 2 andA will function to moveV the shoes along the inner walls 1O=and11i1 while' in engagement therewith and against the compression of springs 34 and. As this movement pro= v gresses the efective working angle at which the links are disposedwill be increased resulting in a gradual' decrease in cushioning .effort as'the rebound-is iinally dissipated.`

I have, therefore, provideda shock absorber toibe used in conjunction preferably with the usual springs of a vehicle to retard y and check shock and rebound iinpartedto the vehicle/body. y 1

Although I have shown a Idrum and plate havingonly twoeccentric arcs and two slices cooperating` therewith, itwill be understood that I donot wish to be liinited tothis mini ber since I may use any number desirable. f

Various changes may bemadeinth'e con.

struction and arrangement of parts of my in# l vention lwithout departing fromthespirit of my invention or the :scope of vthe appended l claims.

I claimt#- 1. In a shock absorber, a casing, the interior side walls thereof having a plurality Y of frictional Contact surfaces foriiiedabout different centers, shoes frictionally yengaging -tlie said Contact surfaces 'within the casing andmeans including a lever, Vand links iiiovable by said leverand connected to said slicesl for moving theshoes along the said surfaces and toward each other vwhen the lever is moved' in one direction. j

2. a shock absorber, a. casing, theinterior side walls thereof having a yplurality of frictional contact surfaces formed about difl'ferent centers, shoes frictionally engaging iis the said contact surfaces within the casing, and means for moving the shoes along ythe said contact surfaces and away from each other, said means including compression springs .seated in the adj acentV opposed ends of the slices.

3. In a shock absorber, a casing, the int-e-y rior side walls thereof having al plurality of frictional contact surfaces formed about different centers, shoes frictionally engaging the said Contact surfaces Within the casing, and

I means including a compression devicebetween said shoes, a lever, and links movable by said lever and connected to separate said shoes for `moving the shoes along the said contact surfaces and away from each othei' when said lever is moved in one direction.

et. In a shock absorber, a casing, the interior side walls thereof having a plurality of frictional contact surfaces formed about different centers, shoes frictionally engaging said contact surfaces within the casing, and

means lfor moving the shoes along the said VContact surfaces and away from each other,

said means including a compression device between said shoes, a lever, and links mov able by said lever and connected to separate said shoes in cooperation with said compression device.

5. In a shock absorber, a casing therefor] tacting surfaces, the adjacent ends of said surfaces forming stops, shoes frictionally engaging said contact surfaces, and means for moving said-shoes along said contact surfaces and into engagement with said stops, said slices beingv movable Vtoward each other about respective stops on the casing when said means is actuated excessively.

7. In a shock absorber, a casing including a disc and a flange, the flange being formed with similar semi-circular frictional contacting inner surfaces generatedabout different centers, shoes movable within the casing, seats formed inr the semi-circular innersurfaces, means for movin@ said shoes toward each f other along the said inner surfaces and into engagement with said seats.

' Y 8. In a shock absorber, a casing including fa disc and a flange, the flange being formed with similar semi-circular frictional con-V tacting inner surfaces generated about dierent centers, shoes movable within the casing, seats rformed by the adjacent edges ofv said semiscircular inner surfaces, means for move ing said shoes toward each other along the said inner surfacesand into engagement with said seats. f 1

9. In a shock absorber, a plate having anV irregular flange formed thereon about different centers, a cover seating over said flange on said plate, the inner side walls ofsaid cover providing frictional contact surfaces, a j

rotatable shaft extending axially through said cover and seating in said plate, an operating lever keyed to said shaft, a yoke keyed to said shaft Within said cover, links pivoted to and movable by said yoke, shoes movable Within the cover in engagement with the frictional contact surfaces thereof, the opposite ends of said links being pivotally connected to said shoes, and springs intermediate the adjacent opposite ends of said shoes to normally 1 move said shoes away from each other and into frictional engagementwith said coverV `frictional contact surfaces. j' .10. In a shock absorber, a casing, the inte-l rior side walls thereof having a plurality of frictional contactfsurfaces formed about different centers, shoes frictionally engaging the f said contact surfaces within thecasing, and

means including a lever, and links movable v by said lever and connected to said shoes for applying the rebound shock through said shoes a-ndagainst said Walls and then subseuentl 7 movinO said shoes alonO said walls as V e: o v j the rebound shock is being dissipated.

l1. In a shock absorber, a casing, theinterior side walls thereof having la plurality of frictional contact surfaces formed about different centers, shoes frictionally engaging the said contact surfaces within the casing, and means for applying'unyielding substantially radial pressure to said shoes for causing relative movement between said casing and said shoes. j

12.*In a shock absorber, a casing, the intcrior side walls thereof lhaving a plurality of frictional Contact surfaces formed about dif- V'ferent centers, shoes frictionally engaging the saidcontact, surfaces within the casing,

and means including a` lever, and links movable by said lever and connected to said shoes for producing relative movement between said casing and said shoes. j

13.v In a shockabsorber,acasing, the interior sidewalls thereof having a plurality of frictional contact surfaces formed about different centers, shoes frictionally engaging the said contact surfaces within the casing, said shoes and said casing being movable relative to each-other and means including compression springs seated inthe adjacent opposed ends of the shoes to Vmaintain said shoesgin frictional engagement with the interiorside walls of the casing. i In testimony whereof I hereunto affixmy signature this28th dayV of Sept. 1925-,

J. HARTZLER REDHEAD.

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